The Bronx Is Up And The Deep Pockets Are Down(town)

The Daily News crunches the numbers and discovers that Bronx residents sue the city at a rate higher than residents in the other four boroughs. There must be a lot of potholes up there:

Bronx residents seem to love to sue the city, according to a newly released report.

Not that the litigious residents of the other four boroughs are slackers in filing claims against city agencies for causing personal injuries or property damage, according to the report by city Controller William Thompson.

The multitude of suits against the city cost taxpayers $575.6 million in fiscal 2004, and an additional $523 million for fiscal 2005, which ended June 30.

The bulk of that dough was spent on settlements and on court judgments for personal injury and property damage claims.

. . .

The Bronx – with 1.3 million residents as of the 2000 census, filed more personal injury claims per capita than any other borough, based on the report.

The Bronx’s ratio of personal injury claims was 226 per 100,000 residents.

The cause for personal injury claims run the gamut from sidewalk slip-and-falls to medical malpractice and accidents with city vehicles.

Bronxites collected $147.8 million in personal injury payouts for 795 claims resolved in fiscal 2004.

. . .

Manhattan had the second-highest ratio of personal injury claims – 210 per 100,000 residents. Its claimants collected $136.2 million for 683 claims and filed 3,233 new claims.

Queens is the least litigious borough, with a ratio of 114 per 100,000 residents.